


Summer Nights, Better Together

by closetbidisaster



Series: Fics inspired by songs [8]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, F/F, Fluff, another college Kellex fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 20:17:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21259046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closetbidisaster/pseuds/closetbidisaster
Summary: Summer nights, better togetherWe both act like it's foreverOh it's bittersweetBut we know this is what we needOrAlex and Kelley are summer sweethearts who crave for more





	Summer Nights, Better Together

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Bittersweet by Blanks
> 
> Song suggestion from @SoLimited

Alex had met Kelley by chance when the latter’s family was vacationing in California one summer when Alex was fifteen and Kelley was sixteen. The older girl had accidentally collided with Alex while chasing down a soccer ball that had been kicked by one of her friends. She had immediately apologized and insisted on buying Alex an ice cream cone to make up for it. The two had swapped numbers despite the fact they would probably never see each other again. Or so they thought.

Kelley returned the next summer, and the summer after that, and the summer after that. By the fourth summer, Alex was convinced someone, or rather something, was trying to either set them up or play a cruel joke on them. She had always felt attracted to the hazel-eyed Stanford girl and she knew Kelley felt similar. From the dinner dates to watching the sunset together at the beach to sneaking out to see each other after curfew, there was no denying the spark between the two of them.

That’s how they end up here. Kelley is twenty now, Alex nineteen, and both are just as smitten with each other as they were when they were younger. They’re perched on the railing of Alex’s back deck, looking out to the horizon, in silence. Kelley’s hands are gripping the railing below her and her arm brushes against Alex’s. The younger girl is swinging her feet, like a small child, and watching the sun beginning to set. 

They’ve done it a thousand times before, nearly every night since that first summer. But something about this evening feels different to Alex. That’s when the feeling sinks in and Alex’s stomach does a backflip while her heart rate increases. She’s always hated saying bye to Kelley, always refusing to acknowledge when their time was drawing to a close. But again, it felt different this time. It hurt to think about Kelley being away from her for school. It didn’t matter that they were closer now that they were both in college, no longer a country apart. It hurt to know that she didn’t know when the two of them would see each other next. 

She was falling in love with Kelley O’Hara and it terrified her. More than that, it slightly angered her; she hadn’t asked for this when they had met four summers ago. She wasn’t mad at Kelley, rather at herself for being unable to keep her feelings in check. She was known among her friends for being the one who wore her heart on her sleeve and was sometimes too willing to try for something futile. Her friends were the ones who picked her up every August when Kelley flew home to Georgia or trekked back to Stanford and Alex couldn’t help but feel alone.

So she was not happy with herself for falling in love. But she couldn’t help it either. 

Looking over at the shorter girl, she understands why. Kelley’s eyes are shining in the soft light of the sunset, golden flecks more prominent. She’s staring out to the sky, looking as if she wants to chase the sun. Alex notices how Kelley is nearly completely still, a rarity for the extremely fidgety girl. She can practically see the gears turning in the shorter girl’s head and wonders what could possibly be causing it.

She doesn’t have time to ask before Kelley’s speaking to her.

“I can see you staring at me, Lex.”

Alex feels herself blush, slightly embarrassed to have been caught being so obvious. Kelley turns to face her and looks at her curiously.

“What’s up?” Alex laughs at that. Figures Kelley would be more concerned about her than herself.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing, actually. I can hear the gears in your head turning,” she responds and Kelley looks to the horizon again, starting to fidget the slightest bit, Alex notices. She runs her fingers through her hair and sighs.

“Just...thinking about things.”

Alex waits quietly, knowing Kelley will provide more explanation once she’s ready. She moves to put an arm around Kelley’s shoulder, but Kelley turns and gets down from the railing, standing in the deck. Alex then turns to face her but Kelley shakes her head.

“No, keep watching the sunset. I’ll start when I’m ready.”

Alex hesitantly nods but listens and again faces the sun as it continues to descend. She feels Kelley step closer and leans into her when she wraps one arm around Alex’s waist and watches the sky next to her.

“I don’t want to leave,” it comes out in a whisper and if Kelley hadn’t been right next to Alex, she’s sure she would’ve missed the confession. Again she waits for the older girl to continue. She hears Kelley sigh before continuing.

“I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to go back to Stanford without you. I don’t want to do this without you.”

“Then don’t,” Alex knows it’s an unfair request. Kelley has a life of her own, friends of her own, a plan of her own. But she also just said she doesn’t want to leave the younger brunette and Alex doesn’t want her to leave either.

“Let’s run away. Just the two of us. We can go to Europe just like we’ve always dreamed of doing. Rome, Prais, London. You name it, we’ll go.”

Kelley shakes her head and laughs lightly at Alex’s eagerness. She presses a kiss to Alex’s neck before glancing towards the setting sun once more.

“As much as I’d love to, I kind of already have plans for the morning, you know? Driving back to Stanford and all that?”

Alex is unwilling to give up though. “What about in, like, October? We have a fall break; we could go for a few days. It doesn’t have to end here.”

Kelley’s breath catches slightly, not missing the last comment even though Alex had whispered it. If she had it her way, it wouldn’t end at all, let alone at the end of every summer. She would love to take off for a European adventure with Alex, but the middle of October is the highest stress point of soccer for both of them, so she knows it won’t happen.

Alex doesn’t give Kelley a chance to answer, deciding to slightly switch the subject so neither of them has to face this reality that is rapidly approaching.

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” Kelley laughs again, not expecting the question.

“I want to play soccer, Lex. Right alongside you, for the US. I want to wear the shield,” they had had this conversation before, both of them knew it, but Alex was looking for something else.

“What about after you retire?” Kelley thinks for a moment. She was in the middle of getting her degree, a good one at that. She knew she’d have something to fall back on after retiring, or if, God forbid, she didn’t make it professionally. But as she was getting closer to graduating, she was unsure if that was truly what she wanted to spend her life after soccer doing.

“I wanna help people,” she finally responds and Alex nods before asking another question.

“What’s your surface-level fear?” Kelley looks at her, puzzled.

“The fear that everyone knows, that you’ll tell everyone.” Kelley tilts her head to the side, thinking. She was known for being pretty fearless, unafraid and unwilling to back down from a challenge.

“Heights. Or, I guess, the thought of falling from a great height,” she settles with her answer. “What about you, Ms. Berkeley?”

“Snakes. They’re so slippery and they don’t have arms or legs and it’s freaky,” Alex shivers and Kelley laughs, throwing her head back and Alex has never felt more love for the girl in front of her.

“Okay, Ms. Stanford. What’s your deep level fear? The one you don’t share often, but keep in your heart.”

Kelley’s laughter dies and her face grows more serious, looking at Alex, searching her eyes.

“That I’m not good enough. That I’ll never be good enough. For soccer, for school, for my family...for you,” the last part is whispered again, and again, Alex is glad she’s pressed against Kelley so she doesn’t miss anything the shorter girl says.

“You’ll always be more than enough to me Kel, please never forget that,” Alex whispers back and Kelley nods, not meeting her eyes. Clearing her throat after a minute or so, she speaks again.

“Wanna know my deep level fear?” Kelley just nods again. Alex takes a deep breath, eyes focused on the sun that has almost completely dipped below the horizon.

“I’m afraid that one day I’ll lose my favorite person in the whole world because she’ll decide that this whole ‘only-in-the-summer’ thing isn’t worth it,” she admits softly and she can hear Kelley’s heartbeat grow faster.

“Al-,” Kelley starts but is interrupted by Alex.

“When was the last time you fell in love Kelley?”

“I-wait what? Why?”

“Please, Kel.”

“Two years ago,” Kelley is avoiding her eyes again. Alex’s own heart rate increases as she asks the next question.

“What happened”

“I never acted on it, not fully. And now, here I am, two years later, with her, just as in love as I was back then.”

Alex feels her heart soar at that and she carefully turns herself around on the railing. She pulls Kelley to stand in between her legs and places her hands around the hazel-eyed girl’s neck. Kelley links her hands behind Alex’s back, holding her in place. Alex leans down and kisses her as the stars begin to come out above them. Kelley bites Alex’s bottom lip slightly before slowly pulling away and looking at her.

“Please stay the night,” Kelley knows she shouldn’t; it will only make it harder to leave come morning, but she can’t say no to the taller brunette.

“Anything for you, my dear.”

The two walk inside to enjoy a final, quiet night together. Just the two of them, a blanket, old movies, and a final twelve hours together. They fall asleep in Alex’s bed, tangled together, the TV still on, playing some romantic comedy Alex had insisted on watching.

When Kelley’s alarm goes off the next morning, neither of them moves for a minute. Finally, Alex lets out a groan and swats at Kelley.

“Turn that damn thing off before I throw your phone across the room.”

Kelley grumbles something incoherent but rolls over and turns her alarm off before rolling back over to face Alex. She smiles softly at her and brushes a loose strand of hair behind Alex’s ear. Her hand moves away from Alex’s face and travels to her hip, squeezing it softly.

“Hi,” Alex smiles back at her, noting how Kelley’s eyes are just as pretty in the morning light as they are at sunset. Her heart flutters before sinking when she realizes what Kelley’s alarm signified. Kelley was leaving today.

“Hi,” she responds quietly before standing up and walking to the kitchen. Kelley sighs, knowing full well that Alex was going to take this harder than she had hoped. She walks into the kitchen to find Alex at the stove, making pancakes while the coffee brewed in the pot in the corner of the kitchen. She approaches Alex and hugs her from behind, placing a kiss on the back of her neck before walking to the coffee pot to pour them each their own cup.

“Did you sleep well?” Alex is still facing away from her.

“I always sleep well when I’m sleeping next to you, Lex,” Kelley’s response gets Alex to turn to her and Kelley’s heart aches at the sight of unshed tears in the blue eyes she had long ago fallen for. She takes a hesitant step towards Alex, and when she isn’t told off, she takes another, more confident step. When she reaches Alex, she wraps her in a hug and the other striker finally lets go, tears wetting Kelley’s shirt.

“I just got you, properly. I don’t want you to leave. I just found out you’re in love with me, just like I’m in love with you. I don’t want you to go,” Alex is shaking now and Kelley is still standing there, holding her and letting her get everything out. She doesn’t want to leave either; it gets harder to leave every year, but she had to. She tried to think of something, anything that could possibly comfort the taller brunette.

She couldn’t think of anything, so she just continued to hold Alex until she was able to pull herself together. They ate in silence and Alex refused to watch Kelley put her bag in her car. She came to the doorstep though when Kelley hadn’t come in from putting her bag away. She didn’t want Kelley to leave without saying goodbye. She found the shorter girl leaning against the hood of her car, and looking at the doorway, waiting for her.

“Didn’t think I’d leave without a goodbye kiss, now did you?” Kelley pushes off the car as Alex approaches her.

“Was kinda hoping you wouldn’t leave at all,” Alex says, a sad smile on her face. Kelley runs a hand down Alex’s arm, intertwining their fingers when her hand reaches Alex. She grabs the nape of Alex’s neck and pulls her in for one last kiss.

“I love you, Lex. I’ll come back to you soon. I promise,” Kelley manages to choke out, tears brimming in her eyes at the thought of getting into her car to drive away from the one she loves. Alex’s eyes are wet too and she’s struggling to keep the tears from falling.

“I love you too, Kel.”

Kelley gets into her car after one last hug and another quick peck. She promises to call Alex as soon as she reaches Stanford and begins backing out of her love’s driveway. Alex has a hand raised in farewell, the other clutching the collar of her shirt as she continues to fight back tears. They know they’ll see each other again. It’s only a matter of time.

Falling in love can be bittersweet, but Kelley and Alex wouldn’t trade it for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Bittersweet ending as promised. The next one will be more bitter, fair warning.
> 
> Drop a song suggestion below and I'll add it to my list!


End file.
